Guide track means for quilting machines

ABSTRACT

A MACHINE FOR FORMING A PREFORMED PATTERN ON A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT OBJECT, AS FOR EXAMPLE, A SEWING PATTERN ON A MATTRESS OR THE LIKE, SAID MACHINE HAVING A NOVEL GUIDE TRACK MEANS FOR A FOLLOWER INCLUDING A GROOVE FORMED IN A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT MEMBER AND A CORRUGATED STRIP LOCATED AT THE BOTTOM OF SAID GROOVE.

Sept 20, 1971 J. cooPER 3,605,661

GUIDE TRACK MEANS FOR QUILTING MACHINES 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 19, 1969 Sept. 20, 1971 J. COOPER 3,605,661

GUIDE TRACK MEANS FOR QUILTING MACHINES Filed Feb. 19, 1969 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 r l I 26 Mln/ENTE@- QQPE Sept 20, 1971 J. COOPER GUIDE TRACK MEANS FOR QUILTING MACHINES 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Flad Feb. 19. 1969 United States Patent O 3,605,661 GUIDE TRACK MEANS FOR QUILTING MACHINES John Cooper, West Bridgford, England, assignor to J. C. Attachments Limited, Nottingham, England Filed Feb. 19, 1969, Ser. No. 800,480 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Feb. 20, 1968, 8,094/ 68 Int. Cl. Db 11/00, 35/00 U.S. Cl. 112-118 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A machine for forming a preformed pattern on a substantially at object, as for example, a sewing pattern on a mattress or the like, said machine having a novel guide track means for a follower including a groove formed in a substantially flat member and a corrugated strip located at the bottom of said groove.

This invention is for an improved guide track of the kind used to guide a follower along a predetermined path so that the follower itself may guide machine components along a predetermined operating path.

The invention has particular but by no means exclusive reference to sewing machines or machines for use in forming eiderdowns or quilts with a predetermined quilted pattern.

The invention also has other applications as for example routing patterns in wood, plastics and other materials.

It is known to form a quilt by locating a sealed envelope of a fabric filled with appropriate material across a frame and to provide means for moving the frame relative to a sewing machine head so that a thread is stitched through the envelope along a predetermined pattern. Various proposals have been made for guiding a frame along a predetermined pattern. One such proposal includes holding the envelope stationary while the sewing machine head is moved along the predetermined path.

The present invention has for one object to provide a simplified guide track into which a follower is inserted so as to move a frame relative to a sewing machine head. Accordingly the present invention provides a guide track for a follower comprising a groove extending in a predetermined design pattern formed in a substantially iiat member and a corrugated strip located at the bottom of said groove.

Conveniently the present invention provides for a fiat board from, say, laminated sheets of wood into which a groove of the predetermined pattern is made. The board is desirably full size, that is to say, it is the same size as the article which is to be operated on by the machine and the groove extending formed in the board is of the same dimensions as the pattern to be applied to the article.

If the board is of 3A" nominal thickness the groove will be of approximately 1/2" in depth and desirably formed with a at bottom and inclined sides. At the bottom of the groove there is located a vertically corrugated strip of metal. The corrugated strip of metal may readily be formed by passing a metal strip through a pair of meshing gears to form the strip into zig zag or corrugated form. The strip, if formed from suiciently ductile material, may be bent into curves transverse to its length so as to form a corrugated track around corners and bends of the desired pattern. The corrugated strip may be secured to the bottom of the groove either by nailing through the trough of the strip or by glueing or by any other conventional means.

Desirably the follower 28 for the track 32 consists of 3,605,661 Patented Sept. 20, 1971 a wheel mounted for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis, said wheel having teeth for engagement with the corrugations of the strip. Providing the board with the groove is mounted on the frame which is movable in two directions at transverse axes and the wheel follower is positively rotated, the frame in which the board is mounted will move relative to the wheel with the wheel following the path formed by the groove and positively driving it by the interengagement of the path of the wheel with the corrugations of the strip.

In order that the present invention may be more readily understood reference is now made to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. l is a perspective view of a mattress sewing machine incorporating the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a side View of a drive unit for use with the machine of FIG. l,

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a track board according to the present invention,

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional View thereof, and

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a track board according to the present invention.

Referring firstly to FIGS. l and 2 a pair of upright standards 1 for the machine proper support cross members 2 and 3. A sewing machine 4 is mounted on cross member 2 and is provided with a foot 5 according to known methods. Undershuttle 6 is secured in a suitable manner to cross member 3, as best shown in FIG. l. A drive shaft 1S connected to a pulley 16 driven by a belt 17 provides drive to the sewing machine 4. A motor (not shown) drives a shaft 21 having a pulley 20 for driving through a belt 22 a pulley 19 mounted on a shaft 18 which is connected to the undershuttle 6 of the sewing machine. Movable relative to the upright 1 and cross members 2 and 3 is an upper rectangular frame 7 supported on four equal upright rods 8, secured to a lower rectangular frame 9. The frame 9 is provided with wheels 10 on both sides. The wheels 10 are adapted to run on rails or tracks 11 mounted on another rectangular frame 12 itself provided with wheels 13 on opposite sides of the rectangle to those mounted on the frame 9'. The wheels 13 are adapted to run on rails or tracks 14 secured to the ground. It will be appreciated therefore that movement in the direction parallel to the cross members 2 and 3 and the frame 7 is obtained by movement of the frames 7 and 9 relative to frame 12 along tre track 11. Movement of the frames 7 and 9 in a direction normal to the axis of the cross members 2 and 3 is obtained by Lrnovement of the frame '12 along the track 14. Thus by a combination of these transverse movements universal movement of the frame 7 relative to the sewing machine foot 5 and undershuttle 6 is obtained. A track board 29 is secured to the frame 9 by conventional means not specifically illustrated. The tracking board seen particularly in FIGS. 2, 3, 4 and 5 consists of a board of for example wooden material into which a groove or guide track 32 is cut -and the groove 32 is provided at its base with a corrugated strip 31. The follower mechanism of FIIG. 2 is secured in a suitable manner to cross member 3, as best shown in FIG. 1. The groove 32 is arranged to form the pattern to be sewn on to the mattress or other material. The corrugated strip 31 is adapted to be engaged by a driven gear follower 28 driven by a chain 27 from a gear 26 engaging a worm 33 rotated by a shaft 24 in meshing `contact through bevel gears 23 with the shaft 21. It will be appreciated that as the gear follower 28 is rotated and its teeth engage the corrugated strip 31 then since the gear follower 28 is fixed that the track will be moved relative thereto and the frame assembly consisting of frames 7 and 9 and the uprights 8 as one unitary box-like frame, as shown in FIG. 1, will be moved relative to the upright 1 and cross members 2 and 3 according to the pattern of the groove 32 and the strip 31.

It will be seen by reference to FIGS. 3 and 4 that the gear follower 21S is supported on the chamfered sides 32a of the groove 32 so that the tips of the teeth of the gearwheel 28 need not Contact the bottom of the troughs 31a of the Strip 31. This unique means permits the weight of the follower and driving mechanism to be supported on the chamfered faces 32a of groove 32 and not on the strip 31. This new structural arrangement minimizes lateral play which is critical in transmitting a sewing pattern from groove 32 to a mattress or the like.

By appropriate design it is possible to ensure that the groove is endless as in FIG. 5 and that by inserting the gear follower in any given position that the gear follower 28 and strip 31 move relative to each other until the whole of the groove 32, of FIG. 5, has passed beneath the gear follower 28 and returns to the original position. If while this is happening a mattress or other member is secured to the frame 7 and the sewing machine is operated, it will be appreciated that it is possible to sew or otherwise stitch a pattern corresponding to that of the groove 32 of FVIG. 5 on to the said mattress or other assembly. The track can cross itself. At such points the corrugated strip 31 is interrupted but the teeth on gear follower 28 are such that at all times three teeth are engaging the groove 32 thus ensuring a continuing drive at the intersection.

To disengage the gear follower 28 from the groove 32 the driving wheel 26 is mounted on a sub-assembly 35 welded to a sleeve 34 co-axially with the worm 33. Sleeve 34 is provided with a groove formed by danges 36 between which a pair of rotatable members 39 engage which members are secured to a lever 37 secured to an arm 38. The lever 37 is adapted to be raised or lowered by a rod 41 engaging in slots 42 formed in an arm 30 secured to the upright 1. Thus by raising or ylowering the rod 41 the sleeve 34 is raised or lowered relative to the worm 33 and the gear follower 28 raised or lowered relative to the groove 32 either to engage or disengage it therefrom.

It will be appreciated that the present invention provides a simple form of machine which provides for a support for a member to which a pattern is to be applied by a sewing machine which enables that member to be moved at will in two mutually transverse directions by a driven gear follower 28 engaging an endless groove 32 in a pattern board 29.

The invention is particularly applicable to the formation of quilted or sewing patterns relative to mattresses, quilts and such like.

The strip 31 is conveniently formed of metal and may be formed from strip metal by alternatively bending in iirst one direction and then in an opposite direction and may be formed as a continuous process.

It will be appreciated also that it is a comparatively simple matter both to place the mattress and the like on the frame 8 and to remove them therefrom and also that 4 it is a comparatively simple matter to change the pattern board 29 of FIG. 5 from the frame 9 in order to form a diierent pattern on to another mattress or the like.

What I claim is:

1. A quilting machine or the like for stitching a preformed pattern on a quilt or similar material from a sewing pattern on a movable track board comprising, a track board including guide track means therein, vertical standard support means, an upper support cross member horizontally secured to said standard support means, a lower support cross member horizontally secured to said standard support means, a sewing machine rxedly secured to said upper support cross member, an undershuttle mounted on top of said lower support cross member, adjustable follower means including a gear follower having teeth thereon and radially inwardly chamfered sides operably secured to said lower support cross member, ground rails mounted adjacent said standard support means, ya movable bottom horizontal frame having top transverse rails thereon and including wheels to move said frame on said ground rails; a frame assembly comprising a top horizontal frame, a lower horizontal frame, vertical members xedly securing said top frame to said lower frame in spaced relation such that said top frame may fixedly support a quilt or the like thereon and said lower frame may iixedly support said track board thereon, said lower fname having wheels thereon to move said frame assembly on said top transverse rails on said movable bottom frame, said guide track means comprising an extending groove of a predetermined pattern in said tnack board, a corrugated strip secured to the bottom of said groove, said strip having troughs and crests therein, said groove having ohamfered sides juxtaposed to the top of said groove to contact said `chamfered sides of said gear follower to guide and rigidly support said gear follower such that only said crests of said strip engage the teeth of said follower during operation of said gear follower, common drive means for driving said sewing machine, said undershuttle and said gear follower cooperating with said groove pattern in said track board during transfer of a predetermined sewing pattern on said track board toa quilt or the like.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,236,421 3/ 1941 Boettcher 112-118 3,125,047 3/1964 Kalning 112-118 3,127,858 4/1'964 Cash 112-118 Re. 25,575 5/ 1964 Schwarzberger 112-118 3,249,077 5/1966 Schwarzberger 112-118 JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner G. V. LARKIN, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 'i4-569 

